Fire alarm



Sept. 11,1934. L, G, SREMEC 1,973,272

FIRE ALARM Filed Aug. 15, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l nvenlor ba/fs' Gf QS'ewec `/flllomey sept. 11, 1934. G, SEME1 1,973,272

FIRE ALARM y Filed Aug. 15, 1955 s sheets-sheet 2 Zwak G. S'remec ./Illarney L. G. SREMEC Sept. 1l, 1.934.

FIRE ALARM Filed Aug. l5, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet.l 3

.Qtttttttt we/8 Inventor FZ-aIz/S" 'elfzec Y /Illorney Patented Sept. 11, 1934 rUNITED STATES FFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in iire alarms and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character em- `bodying a novel construction, combination and 4arrangement of parts through the medium of which a warning will be automatically sounded when a fire occurs in a chimney.

Other objects of the invention are to provide 1 a fire alarm of the aforementioned character which will be simple in construction, strong, durable, eicient and reliable in operation and which may be manufactured and installed at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specificat on, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference 29 designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:-

Figure l is a view in side elevation of a re alarm constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the same installed for op- 25 eration on a chimney.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View partially in side elevation and partially in vertical section of a lower portion of the device.

Figure 3 is a View in vertical section through .30 the upper portion of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a bracket 1 which is secured, as at 2, on the top of the chim- 35 ney, said chimney being designated by the reference numeral 3. The bracket 1 extends inwardly over a corner portion of the chimney 3 and terminates in an upstanding tubular portion 4 in which a vertical tube 5 is mounted, said tube '40 depending into the chimney.

Mounted on the upper end portion of the tube 5 and resting on the portion 4 of the bracket 1 is a metallic casing 6 having removably mounted thereon a flat inner cover 7 and a substantially 45 conical outer cover 8. 'Ihe reference numeral 9 designates a button type switch which is mounted on the lower side of the inner cover 7 and which is electrically connected with a bell 10 by wires 11. A conduit 12 is provided for the wires 11.

,50 A suitable source of current, such .as a battery 13, may be provided for energizing the bell 10 when the switch 9 is closed. It will thus be seen that the casing 6 is mounted above the chimney 3 and the bell 10 may be located in the building 554er at any other suitable point. The conduit 12 (Cl. G- 142) protects the wires 11 from the weather, as will be apparent, said conduit being connected with the outer cover 8 and extending therefrom into the building, as best seen in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Headed rods 14 are mounted vertically in the casing 6, said rods projecting through the bottom of said casing and being secured in position by nuts 15. Slidably mounted on the rods 14 is a plate 18 having mounted thereon a head 17 for engagement with the button of the switch 9. Mounted for vertlcal movement in the tube 5 and extending slidably into the casing 6 is a rod 18 which is secured, at its upper end, to the plate 16. A compression spring 19 encircles the rod 18 in the casing 6 and is engaged with the plate 16 for yieldingly urging the head 17 upwardly toward engagement with the switch 9. YAngular retainers 20 are secured to the lower end portions of the rods 14 by nuts 21 and said retainers are connected at their other ends, as at 22, to the outer cover 8 of the casing 6. If desired, the pivot pins 22 may be removable to permit removal of the cover 8 or the lower end portions of the retainers 20 may tudinal slots for the reception of the rods 14 to` permit disengagement of the retainers from said rods when the nuts 21 are removed.

The rod 18, it will be noted, is of tubular construction and extends below the tube 5. The reference numeral 23 designates an angular bar which is secured, as at 24, on the lower end of the rod 18. Inflammable or fusible elements 25 of suitable strength and material, such as Manila rope, are ancho-red to the end portions of the bar 23, as at 26, and depend therefrom.

At their lower ends, the elements 25 are connected, as at 27, to the end portions of an angular bar 28. Suspended from an intermediate point of the bar 28 is a weight 29.

The reference numeral 30 designates open mesh tubular shields which encircle the elements 25 in spaced relation thereto. The end portions of the shields 30 are enclosed in upper and lower caps 31 and 32, respectively, the former being secured toI the bar 23, the latter being free of the bar 28.

Briefly, the operation of the alarm is as follows:

Normally the weight 29 is suiiicient to retain the head 17 out of engagement with the button of the switch 9 against tension of the spring 19. Should a fire occur in the chimney, the flames will contact and ignite the elements 25 through the mesh guards 30, thus severing said be provided with longr,

elements and releasing the weight 29. The spring 19 is thus permitted to move the head 17 upwardly into operative engagement with the switch 9, thereby closing said switch and energizing the bell 10. It will thus be seen that the occupants of the house or building will receive ample warning of the occurrence and location of the re before said re will have been able to spread to any considerable extent or ignite the house or building. vThe lower portion of the apparatus is preferably located 4approximately twentyefour to thirty inches above the flue openings in the chimney in order that the alarm may be given in ample time.

It is believed that the many advantages of a re alarm constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed isz- 1. A re alarm comprising a casing, a cap closingthe top of the casing, a normally open switch carried by the cap and depending into the casing, a pair of spaced bolts having their threaded ends passing through holes in the bottom of the casing, inner and outer nuts threaded on said ends for holding the bolts in position, a plate slidably arranged on thebolts, a switch closing member carried by the plate, a spring moving the plate to a, position to cause said switch closing member to engage and close the switch, means including a fusible member and a weight for normally holding the plate in a position with the switch closing member Iout of lengagement :with the switch, a conical cover enclosing the cap, a pair of angle-shaped bars having their upper ends pivotally connected with the lower part of the conical cover and the other ends of said bars having holes therein for receiving the threaded.`

ends of the bolts, and nuts on said threaded ends for` holding said lower ends of the bars on the h 2. A fire alarm for a chimney comprising a bracket at the upper end of the chimney and projecting partly across the opening at the upper end of the chimney, a casing carried by the bracket, a normally open switch in the top part of the casing, a vertically movable member in the casing, a switch closing head thereon, a rod having its upper end connected with said member and extending through the bottom of the casing into the chimney, a spring encircling that part of the rod within the casing and acting to move the member upwardly to place the head in engagement with the switch to close the same, a guide tube for the rod depending from the casing, a. bracket connected to the lower end of the rod, a second bracket located below the rst mentioned bracket, fusible means connecting the two brackets together, and; aV weight connected with the lower bracket.

3. A fire alarm for a chimney comprising a bracket at the upper end of the chimney and projecting partly across the opening at the upper end of the chimney, a casing carried by the bracket, a normally open switch in the top part of the casing, a vertically movable member in the casing, a switch closing head thereon, a rod having its upper-,end connected with said member and extending through the bottom of the casing into the chimney, a spring encircling that part of the rod within the casing and acting to move the member upwardly 'to place the head in engagement with the switch to close the same, a guide tube for the rod depending from the casing, a. bracket connected to the lower end of the rod, a second bracket located below the iirst mentioned bracket, fusible .means connecting the two brackets together, a weight connected with the lower bracket, caps attached to the bracket which is connected with the lower end of the rod, cylindrical screens having their upper ends attached to said caps and encircling the fusible elements, and caps receiving the lower ends of the screens and through which the means for connecting the lower endsvof the fusible elements to the lower bracket pass.

LOUIS G. SREMEC. 

